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Running restaurants all over the world, keeping up television appearances, and penning books is plenty enough to juggle for most chefs. But for Swedish-born Marcus Samuelsson, being a culinary figure isn’t just a job – it’s a lifestyle. From introducing New Yorkers to New Scandinavian cooking while at Aquavit in the 1990s, to helping revitalize his Harlem neighborhood with the ever-lively Red Rooster and Ginny’s Supper Club, Samuelsson has made it his lifelong mission to unite communities through food, community, and well, fun.

To that end, he co-founded Harlem EatUp!, a culinary, cultural, and musical festival – marquee events include The Luminary Award Dinner, The Dine In Harlem series, and The Harlem Stroll – which is being held May 13 through 19.

Located at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown, CUT is Wolfgang Puck’s first Manhattan restaurant.

And to jump start the celebration, last night Samuelsson and Wolfgang Puck co-hosted a lavish, five-course dinner at CUT by Wolfgang Puck at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown – with each dish speaking to the chefs’ unique upbringings and influences. (Puck prepared a braised short rib goulash and tender spätzle, for example, while Samuelsson dished out injera, a fermented Ethiopian flatbread, alongside doro wat, a spicy chicken stew.) “I always enjoy collaborative dinners,” says Puck on how the special event came together. “I was excited we finally got the chance to collaborate with Marcus for EatUP!, and bring it to my restaurant CUT.”

On top of it all, Samuelsson is unveiling his newest restaurant MARCUS, located in Four Seasons Hotel Montreal, today. Below, he shares why he’s thrilled to partner with the luxury hospitality brand, the philosophy of the restaurant, and some dishes you shouldn't miss.

Opening today, MARCUS by Marcus Samuelsson is located in Four Seasons Hotel Montreal.

Four Seasons Hotel Montreal

Congrats on opening MARCUS. How do you feel?

Samuelsson:It's such a great privilege opening in a city I've admired for a long time – especially for its food. And to be able to do it with the Four Seasons – a hotel that is considered worldwide to be the gold standard – makes this a dream project in many ways.

Could you talk about how this partnership came to be? This is your first restaurant in Canada and with the Four Seasons brand, yes?

Samuelsson:Yes. Andrew Lutfy, the owner of the building and driving force of project, connected with me. During his trips to New York, we’d share our ideas. We knew we wanted to build a dynamic restaurant together. So with the Four Seasons Montreal team, we created a vision forMARCUS.

And how would you describe the cuisine?

Samuelsson:It’s a modern seafood brasserie with a very exciting menu. We've got everything from ocean charcuterie to robata grill dishes – all with a focus on sustainable, local sourcing. The terrace and bars add to the festive feeling you get in my restaurants (like Red Rooster), while the cuisine draws on the cooking techniques I learned in Europe.

Samuelsson:It really allows the guest to celebrate, and offers a lot of flexibility. If you just want a cocktail, you can come to the beautiful outdoor terrace and the day bar. You can listen to live music and chill. But if you want a sit down business dinner or are on a date, we've got the main restaurant. With every element, including the open kitchen, we wanted to create a dynamic, but inviting space.

Could you call out a few must-try menu items?

Samuelsson: The Arctic Char – it's one of my favorite types of fish – Mi Cuit, with ingredients like asian pear and kimchee, is exciting and one of my favorite dishes. From our robata grill section, I’m loving the salmon belly with maple, nori, and uni. It has a rich flavor, but is still so light. The smoked salmon with maple glaze from the ocean charcuterie menu reminds me of growing up in Sweden, but uses locally-sourced ingredients. I love that this restaurant has a very different cuisine from Red Rooster, but still the same level of celebration.

Travel's my beat, but I love nothing more than being home in Brooklyn. I got my "accidental" start as a writer contributing for T: The New York Times Style Magazine, and

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Travel's my beat, but I love nothing more than being home in Brooklyn. I got my "accidental" start as a writer contributing for T: The New York Times Style Magazine, and have since been published in Vogue, Esquire, Architectural Digest, Food & Wine, Town & Country, and more. Also: pizza and gravy for life.